


trust me when i stumble and fall

by casualmarches



Category: Waterparks (Band)
Genre: Child Abuse, Homophobic Language, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, M/M, Underage Smoking, and edgy as fuck, conversations on a roof are always deep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-05-16 23:55:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14821334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/casualmarches/pseuds/casualmarches
Summary: “Run away with me.” His voice comes out louder than he intended.“What?”“I said, run away with me.”





	trust me when i stumble and fall

Geoff waits for Awsten on the roof.

He takes a drag of his cigarette, letting it sit, burn his lungs, before letting it out slowly. It’s a habit he just can’t break - not that he tries. It calms him down, clears his head. Maybe at this rate he’ll die quicker.

The sun is on its way to setting, blues and reds chasing downwards, and the only sound for company is his shaky breathing. Geoff bounces his leg, and gently touches the bruise on his cheek. It hurts, but it reminds him that he’s alive. He looks at the horizon until his eyes cross and everything goes blurry, and he wonders what’s past it, wonders if there’s anything better.

Clamber of the ladder makes him jump. It’s Awsten.

A purple-haired mess appears a few seconds later, huffing as he pulls himself up. Awsten’s never been the most fit, which becomes exceedingly evident every time he nearly dies trying to get to this spot. And if Geoff makes fun of him, well, what else is he supposed to do?

Awsten is quiet as he sits down next to Geoff. He sees the bruise, but doesn’t say anything, smart enough to know where it’s from, and wrinkles at the cigarette smoke, but doesn’t say anything, smart enough to know that that battle is useless to fight.

They sit in silence for a while, watching night crawl across the sky. Stars come out of hiding, the moon shines brightly, and a summer breeze lifts through the air. It should be peaceful, it should be something from a movie that ends with thunderous applause and cheesy music, but instead it’s suffocating. It traps Geoff in a box and leaves him unable to breathe.

“He got drunk again,” he says offhandedly. Awsten starts, looking up as Geoff talks. “Called me the usual. Useless faggot who won’t amount to anything. Stupid piece of shit that ruined his life. I didn’t say anything back this time, though, which he took badly.” His laugh has no humor in it. “Hit me across the face. Kicked me a couple times. I got a bloody nose but it stopped.”

“I.. ” Awsten trails off like every other time, unsure of what to say. “You don’t deserve that, G.”

Geoff flicks some ashes off. “Maybe.”

Ideas run wild in Geoff’s head as he leans back. One is always persistent, there and nagging at him. He’s never suggested it, not knowing if Awsten would even agree -

“Run away with me.” His voice comes out louder than he intended.

“What?”

“I said, run away with me.”

Awsten goes wide-eyed. He looks like he's expecting Geoff to crack up and say he’s just fucking with him, but it never comes. “What do you mean, run away?”

“Is there more than one meaning to that? I want out of here.” Geoff sits up. He drops his cigarette, crushing it with his foot, and he faces Awsten fully. “I can’t.. I can’t stay there, Aws. Sooner or later I know he’s going to kill me, or I’ll just end up doing it myself. Neither of us have it good at home. You know that and I know that. There’s nothing stopping us.”

“Except the fact that we have no plan at all whatsoever?”

“You really think I never had anything planned? I’ve almost done it a few times, before I met you.” When Awsten doesn't reply, he grabs his hand and looks at him earnestly. He doesn't want to force Awsten to do something he doesn't want to do, but it would destroy him to leave his best - and only - friend behind. "Do you really want to stay here? Do you really want to spend the rest of your life here?"

He's still for a while. His eyebrows push together in that adorable way they do when he's thinking hard. Eventually, he squeezes Geoff's hand.

"Okay."


End file.
